Unit 12: Customs and Traditions

Introduction to Unit 12

This unit is about talking about different cultural features and festivals.

NOW GO TO THE FIRST SECTION: Dialogue

Dialogue

The following conversation is between two new colleagues. Laura has recently arrived in Madagascar and Paula is trying to help her to settle in.

Paula: Hi Laura, when did you arrive in Madagascar? Laura: Hi Paula, I only got here yesterday! Paula: That’s not very long at all – you will have lots of ...

Vocabulary

Now let’s look at some of the words and phrases from the conversation in more detail.

Paula says, “You will have lots of new things to get used to!”. We use “to get used to” for things that are strange or different at first, but slowly ...

Comprehension Questions

Now go back and read the conversation again, and try to answer the following questions about it. After this, discuss your answers with a friend.

What does Laura want to know about Madagascar? (2 marks) How does Paula describe ‘fady’? (1 mark) Which Malagasy rule is similar to England? (1 mark) What does Laura say ...

Grammar

The following grammar points are about "to be used to"/"to get used to"/!getting used to" and the different tenses. Try the accompanying exercises to practise them.

To be used to/To get used to/Getting used to If you are “used to” something, you don’t find it strange, because you have done it many times. For example, “They ...

Writing

Practise your written English by answering one of the following writing activities. Try to use new vocabulary and grammar from this unit, and practise reading it out loud – this is a great way to spot mistakes. You could also swap your piece of writing with a friend to correct it. To help you, there are a few ideas of phrases you could use.

Write an email to a new friend from another country, telling them all about your country and its culture. Write a short dialogue between you and a friend talking about ...